Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The Elko Daily Free Press is counting down the days until marijuana is legal in Nevada by answering questions concerning the law.
Q: How has the law changed through the years regarding marijuana?
A: When looking at the history of marijuana in the United States, some might say how we treat the plant is coming full circle.
The national history of the plant, Cannabis sativa, begins before the U.S. even existed.
From 1600 to 1890s the domestic production of hemp was encouraged, according to Frontline on PBS. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, Cannabis sativa L.
"The important difference to note is that industrial hemp contains only less than 0.3 percent of Tetrahydrocannabinoids or THC (the ingredients that make a person high) while marijuana's THC content can be 5 to 10 percent or more," stated Phil Lempert, who writes about the food and agriculture sectors, in a Forbes article.
People might say cannabis is quite American since George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all grew hemp crops on their land.
"In the late 19th century marijuana became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies," Frontline stated.
In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act required over-the-counter remedies to be labeled if they contained cannabis.
From 1900 to 1920s, Mexican immigrants introduced the recreational use of marijuana and anti-drug campaigners started speaking of the "Marijuana Menace."
During the Great Depression, research linked the use of marijuana with violence and other deviant behaviors. By 1931, 29 states had outlawed marijuana.
The federal government still didn't take direct action against the drug, but the Federal Bureau of Narcotics "encouraged state governments to accept responsibility for control of the problem by adopting the Uniform State Narcotic Act," Frontline stated.
The Marijuana Tax Act was passed in 1937. This statute began the criminalization of marijuana by restricting possession of the drug to individuals who paid an excise tax for certain authorized medical and industrial uses.
Samuel Caldwell of Colorado was the first person arrested and prosecuted under the federal charge, according to the Denver Post. Federal drug-enforcement agents busted him with three pounds of cannabis.
Federal laws against the drug began in the 1950s. The Boggs Act and the Narcotics Control Act set mandatory sentences for drug-related offenses, including marijuana. A first-offense marijuana possession carried a minimum sentence of two to 10 years and a fine up to $20,000.
Congress repealed most of the mandatory penalties in 1970 and marijuana was categorized separately from other narcotics. During the '70s, 11 states decriminalized marijuana.
Parents' groups lobbying for stricter regulation and prevention of drug use by teenagers led to the 1980s War on Drugs, Frontline stated. The federal government raised federal penalties for marijuana possession and dealing, and based the penalties on the amount of the drug involved. "Possession of 100 marijuana plants received the same penalty as possession of 100 grams of heroin," Frontline stated.
In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, which allowed the medical use of marijuana. Nevada voters legalized medical use of weed in 2000, but it took 15 years before the drug was sold legally in the state.
In 2012, Colorado and Washington were the first states to approve recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. In 2014, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., also voted to legalize adult use of pot.
In 2016, Nevada, California, Maine and Massachusetts all passed recreational marijuana use. This means the New Year brings an end to prosecution for simple possession and the phrase smoke 'em if you got 'em has a new meaning.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Countdown To Legal Pot - History Of Marijuana Enforcement
Author: Marianne Kobak McKown
Contact: 775-738-3118
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Elko Daily Free Press
Q: How has the law changed through the years regarding marijuana?
A: When looking at the history of marijuana in the United States, some might say how we treat the plant is coming full circle.
The national history of the plant, Cannabis sativa, begins before the U.S. even existed.
From 1600 to 1890s the domestic production of hemp was encouraged, according to Frontline on PBS. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, Cannabis sativa L.
"The important difference to note is that industrial hemp contains only less than 0.3 percent of Tetrahydrocannabinoids or THC (the ingredients that make a person high) while marijuana's THC content can be 5 to 10 percent or more," stated Phil Lempert, who writes about the food and agriculture sectors, in a Forbes article.
People might say cannabis is quite American since George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all grew hemp crops on their land.
"In the late 19th century marijuana became a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies," Frontline stated.
In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act required over-the-counter remedies to be labeled if they contained cannabis.
From 1900 to 1920s, Mexican immigrants introduced the recreational use of marijuana and anti-drug campaigners started speaking of the "Marijuana Menace."
During the Great Depression, research linked the use of marijuana with violence and other deviant behaviors. By 1931, 29 states had outlawed marijuana.
The federal government still didn't take direct action against the drug, but the Federal Bureau of Narcotics "encouraged state governments to accept responsibility for control of the problem by adopting the Uniform State Narcotic Act," Frontline stated.
The Marijuana Tax Act was passed in 1937. This statute began the criminalization of marijuana by restricting possession of the drug to individuals who paid an excise tax for certain authorized medical and industrial uses.
Samuel Caldwell of Colorado was the first person arrested and prosecuted under the federal charge, according to the Denver Post. Federal drug-enforcement agents busted him with three pounds of cannabis.
Federal laws against the drug began in the 1950s. The Boggs Act and the Narcotics Control Act set mandatory sentences for drug-related offenses, including marijuana. A first-offense marijuana possession carried a minimum sentence of two to 10 years and a fine up to $20,000.
Congress repealed most of the mandatory penalties in 1970 and marijuana was categorized separately from other narcotics. During the '70s, 11 states decriminalized marijuana.
Parents' groups lobbying for stricter regulation and prevention of drug use by teenagers led to the 1980s War on Drugs, Frontline stated. The federal government raised federal penalties for marijuana possession and dealing, and based the penalties on the amount of the drug involved. "Possession of 100 marijuana plants received the same penalty as possession of 100 grams of heroin," Frontline stated.
In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215, which allowed the medical use of marijuana. Nevada voters legalized medical use of weed in 2000, but it took 15 years before the drug was sold legally in the state.
In 2012, Colorado and Washington were the first states to approve recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. In 2014, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., also voted to legalize adult use of pot.
In 2016, Nevada, California, Maine and Massachusetts all passed recreational marijuana use. This means the New Year brings an end to prosecution for simple possession and the phrase smoke 'em if you got 'em has a new meaning.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Countdown To Legal Pot - History Of Marijuana Enforcement
Author: Marianne Kobak McKown
Contact: 775-738-3118
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Elko Daily Free Press
